rare
adjective /reə(r)/
/rer/
(comparative rarer, superlative rarest)
- not done, seen, happening, etc. very often
- a rare disease/occurrence/event
- This weekend, visitors will get a rare chance to visit the private apartments.
- it is rare for somebody/something to do something It's extremely rare for it to be this hot in April.
- it is rare to do something It is rare to find such loyalty these days.
- On the rare occasions when they met he hardly even dared speak to her.
- The bacteria can cause infection and, in rare cases, blindness.
- The current exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see his original drawings.
- In a rare moment of candour, she admitted that mistakes had been made.
- It was a rare (= very great) honour to be made a fellow of the college.
- Most documentaries, with few rare exceptions, aren't worth purchasing.
- Serious crime is a relatively rare occurrence here.
- Cold spells in Britain are becoming increasingly rare.
Extra ExamplesTopics Timeb1- He suffers from a rare bone disease.
- It is rare for a prison sentence to be imposed for a first offence.
- The case provides a rare glimpse into police practice.
- The hatching of a baby tortoise is a rare event in captivity.
- Then I had one of my rare good ideas.
- There are rare cases of human beings bursting into flames.
- This is a rare sight: badgers are normally active only at night.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- existing only in small numbers and therefore valuable or interesting
- a rare book
- a rare coin/stamp
- a rare breed
- a rare plant/bird/animal
- This species is extremely rare.
Extra Examples- The stamps were not rare enough to be interesting.
- The farm specializes in rare breeds.
- The jade vase was extremely rare and very valuable.
- The library has a collection of rare books and manuscripts.
- The marshes contain many rare species of plants.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- seem
- become
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- (of meat) cooked for only a short time so that the inside is still red
- ‘How would you like your steak?’ ‘Rare.’
see also rarity
Word Originsenses 1 to 2 late Middle English (in the sense ‘widely spaced, infrequent’): from Latin rarus.sense 3 late 18th cent.: variant of obsolete rear ‘half-cooked’ (used to refer to soft-boiled eggs, from the mid 17th to mid 19th cents).